Re: Beer Aged in Pappy Barrels $45 a Bottle!

Originally Posted by nor02lei

The longer the barrels have had bourbon in them the less power there is left as I se it. Thereof the price setting is upside down in my opinion.

Leif

The theory now in using very well used bourbon barrels is that while the bourbon does deplete the absorbables it also changes -- bourbonizes -- the barrel's character, so while for some applications you might prefer a bourbon barrel that is only lightly used -- say for the 2-year-old bourbon used in Australian RTDs -- for some applications you want a barrel that has been thoroughly bourbonized.

All of the sales to brewers are but a drop in the barrel, pardon the expression, compared to the primary market for used bourbon barrels, which is Scotland, Canada, California, Mexico and the Caribbean for whiskey and other aged spirits. But it's nice that the distilleries are also selling barrels to brewers, food makers, cigar makers, and who knows what else.